Code Status: North Carolina

This page contains information about current energy codes in the state of North Carolina. Information for all 50 States is also available. North Carolina Code News.

Current State Codes
Code Adoption & Change Process
Energy Consumption Estimates
Construction Activity
Web Links
State Energy Code Contacts

Current State Codes

Residential Code: 2006 IECC is the basis for the 2009 North Carolina Energy Conservation Code. Mandatory statewide; REScheck can be used to show compliance.
Commercial Code: 2006 IECC is the basis for the 2009 North Carolina Energy Conservation Code, which references ASHRAE 90.1-2004. Mandatory statewide; COMcheck can be used to show compliance.
Code Change Cycle: State Building Code Council develops new codes on a three-year cycle. Most recent update was effective January 1, 2009. The next update is expected in 2012.

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Code Adoption & Change Process

Process Type: Legislative & Regulatory

Code Change Process: The North Carolina State Building Code Council (SBCC) is responsible for developing all state codes. By statute, the Commissioner of Insurance has general supervision over the administration and enforcement of the North Carolina state building code. Engineering Division staff assist the SBCC. Rule proposals are considered quarterly and anyone may propose a rule change. Final authority to adopt criteria rests with the state legislature. Public hearings are conducted quarterly to consider proposals and must proceed through the rule making process.

State Code History: In December 1973, the North Carolina State Building Code Council adopted the Southern Building Code Congress (SBCC) Standard Building Code insulating standards as statewide requirements. The Building Code Council later adopted the Standard Building Code with North Carolina Amendments, which went into effect on January 1, 1978.

The previous state code was based on the 2000 IECC, and was effective December 31, 2001.

Effective July 1, 2006, the base document for the 2006 North Carolina Energy Conservation Code is the 2003 IECC. The 2006 NC Amendments are replacements to the Sections printed in the base document. The 2004 Supplement to the I-Codes is referenced in various Sections of the 2006 NC Amendments.

On March 11, 2008, the 2009 North Carolina Energy Conservation Code was adopted. Based on the 2006 IECC (and referencing ASHRAE 90.1-2004 for commercial buildings), the code includes strengthening amendments to the base code, requiring fenestration U-factor and SHGC values of 0.40 across the state. Builders are allowed to use the previous code until June 30, 2009.

The NC Building Code Council expects to begin the next code update process in the spring of 2009 with an anticipated effective date of January 1, 2012. While the 2009 IECC will be used as the base code, the state was awarded a $500,000 federal grant to improve its next code's stringency by 30% and improve compliance through comprehensive training and enforcement.

North Carolina Code Chronology
Enactment Date	Effective Date	Description
	1903-1967	Various building basic construction codes
	1978	Southern Building Code Congress (SBCC) Standard Building Code insulating standards with NC Amendments
2001	Jan 2002	2000 IECC with NC Amendments
2005	July 2006	2003 IECC (ref. 90.1-2004) with NC Amendments
Mar 2008	Jan 2009	2006 IECC (ref. 90.1-2004) with NC Amendments strengthening fenestration U-factor and SHGC values to 0.40 across the state
2011?	Jan 2012?	Next code update process begins spring 2009. Should be based on 2009 IECC and be 30% more stringent than previous code

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Energy Consumption Estimates

The consumption estimates below are derived from the total end use of residential and commercial energy consumption in the United States in 2006, and are not limited to energy consumption based on building code-related factors. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Residential Sector: 680.4 Trillion BTU
Commercial Sector: 556.5 Trillion BTU
Total Energy Consumption: 1,239.6 Trillion BTU

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Construction Activity

Residential:

Population (2000 US Census)¹: 8,049,313
Total Housing Units²: 3,707,129
2004 New Housing Units Authorized by Permit (Privately Owned)³:
- total units: 92,411
- 1 unit: 76,084
- 2 units: 1,648
- 3 and 4 units: 857
- 5+ units: 13,822
- structures of 5+ units: 884

References:

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Green Building Initiatives

62 Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Certified Buildings
ENERGY STAR Qualified New Homes Market Index between 3% and 11%
485 ENERGY STAR Labeled Buildings and Plants

Code Funding Opportunities

There are two funding opportunities under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA): Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants and State Energy Program. Please reference the U.S. Department of Energy for North Carolina's allocated amount and updated information.